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SWAIN SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries
http://archive.org/details/circular7476swai
SWAIN SCHOOL OF DESIGN
19 Hawthorn Street New Bedford Mass 02740
Telephone (617) 997 3158
Contents
4
Introduction
6
History and Growth
8
William Crapo Gallery
10
Admission
14
Financial Aid
14
Medical Care
15
Housing
15
Adult and Childrens Classes
16
Academic Requirements
20
Foundation Program
22
The First Year
24
Second Year
29
Note on Photography
30
Major Program
40
Liberal Arts
48
Faculty
49
Administration
50
Trustees
51
Advisors
r-
m School of Design
The Swain School offers professional training in
painting, design, sculpture, and printmaking. It is a
small school, intimate, and capable of closely directing
and encouraging a student's growth as an artist.
Our size permits us to see ourselves as a community of
artists. We think of teachers as persons who have been
artists longer, have trained their hands and their
judgement, know techniques and know the lay of the
land. We recognize the value of this relationship and
intend to remain a small school. We do not plan to
grow beyond an enrollment of two hundred students
though that makes us one of the smallest colleges in
the country.
We believe that the young artist develops as he learns
the basic concepts and skills which all visual arts
share. In the freshman year our studio curriculum is
rigorous; we concentrate on the problem of seeing the
contour and volume of objects and the problem of
organizing an interesting page. Once these skills are
mastered the student is encouraged to use them. The
senior is expected to be an artist responsible to
himself.
In the beginning we teach the grammar of art, that
when you speak you speak clearly. It is a discipline
intended to increase the variety of what you are able to
say, what you are able to see.
As an art school we are a professional school, more
like a school of medicine or a school of accounting
than a liberal arts college. But we realize that the arts
are a most unusual profession, one more often
misunderstood than understood. Recent tradition sees
the artist as only a painter or a sculptor; we respect
that definition, but would argue that the designer is
also an artist, and an artist whose audience is less
remote. A society as complex as ours needs and must
employ responsible designers for industry, creators of
new materials for education and original thinkers in
environmental projects.
A medical student becomes better as his curiosity
becomes narrower, contracts from mankind to the
body to the spleen. The reverse is true of the painter,
sculptor or designer. Only as his interest broadens
does he deepen. If an artist heals it is not by surgery
but by seeing things whole.
A map maker who knows nothing but old maps is
either a criminal or a comedian, he must go see land.
The painter, sculptor or designer makes maps of
moods or moments, some of them lost in fog. He too
must move to see them clearly. To grow, an artist must
acknowledge that he has not invented the world,
respect the ways experience was seen before him. It is
for this that we ask the student who would grow as an
artist to study art history and literature and the social
sciences. And more important ask him to observe
himself, other people, the town around him.
Convinced that the artist does not exist to create luxury
for a prosperous society, we attempt to bring
ourselves, faculty and students, into immediate contact
with our surrounding society. This underscores our
belief that the work of the artist is a moral or an ethical
act. We expect our student to effect reform through the
responsible use of his talents.
n
In 1881, the will of William W. Swain established a
non-profit educational institution whose Trustees and
Faculty were charged with the responsibility to "qualify
the pupils for the practical duties of life in the spheres
they will be probably called upon to act in." Originally
named the Swain Free School, a variety of subjects
were taught including courses in language,
mathematics, science, history, logic and art. With the
development of other educational facilities in the
community and the rise of New Bedford as one of the
largest textile centers in the United States, increasing
emphasis was placed on instruction in design. Today
the Swain School of Design is a co-educational
professional art school offering a four year program in
the visual arts, leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree.
opportunities in both cultural and recreational
activities. The Public Library is of particular value to the
unique artistic tradition of the city. New Bedford was
the birthplace of Albert Ryder and home of Alfred
Bierstadt and Dwight Tryon. The Museum of the Old
Dartmouth Historical Society records another aspect of
the city's history, that of the whaling industry. Across
the street from the museum is preserved the Seaman's
Bethel which Melville describes in his classic novel
Moby Dick. The cultural life of the city is further
augmented by its advantageous position between
Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.
Surrounding the site of the original William W. Swain
residence, the School is located in an area of New
Bedford noted for important examples of the 18th and
19th century architecture. In close proximity to the
campus is the new Bedford Public Library and the
Whaling Museum. Southeastern Massachusetts
University is located in North Dartmouth, hardly ten
minutes by car. This new university offers vast
A recent consultant to the School noted that "the
generosity of the Trustees has visibly blessed the
School with a number of charming buildings of rare
human scale organically related to a delightful
community locale". By conscious effort and happy
accident our campus expresses the distinct character
of the school and supports the way in which we go
about our educational purpose.
The Swain School of Design is affiliated with the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., in
the category of Recognition of Candidacy for
Accreditation.
Division III member of the National Association of
Schools of Art.
Charter Member of the American Federation of Art.
Member of the American Association of Museums.
The School is licensed by the Massachusetts Board
of Higher Education to grant the degree of Bachelor of
Fine Arts; approved by the Veterans Administration; by
the U. S. Department of Justice for the training of
foreign students.
William Crapo gallery
The William W. Crapo Gallery was founded in 1925 to
provide Swam students and the community with an
opportunity to view original works of art. Each year the
Gallery offers approximately ten exhibits including
such diverse achievements as primitive art, nineteenth
century painting and the more contemporary efforts of
the avant garde. In order to fulfill its educational
function more completely, lectures and panel
discussions are regularly scheduled and often
re-broadcast for the television audience. The Crapo
Gallery is a member of the American Association of
Museums.
■
i
Admi
'sswn
Our School is small. We do not do our admissions on a
statistical basis. We have learned that visual
intelligence is the best indication of a student's ability
to excell in our professional and academic programs.
We favor the interview and portfolio discussion over
other ways to measure a student's ability. Our policy is
one of well considered madness, in which neither high
academic rank nor impressive college board scores
are any more than interesting bits of information about
an applicant.
An applicant must be a high school graduate or have
acceptable equivalent preparation. However, a
candidate who evidences special interest, unusual
ability or promise, may be considered for admission as
a special student at the discretion of the admission
committee. Each applicant is considered on the basis
of his aptitude as well as his character and personal
qualifications.
10
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Portfolio ^Interview
Applicants must complete the School's application
form and submit it together with a $10.00 application
fee (not refundable and not credited to any school
bills) to the Registrar, Swain School of Design, 19
Hawthorn Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. The
applicant should request the principal of his secondary
school 'to forward a transcript of grades at the time of
application. He should file two letters of
recommendation. It is advised that the applicant visit
the School and arrange for a personal interview with
the Director of Admissions, preferably no later than
April 1st.
A school medical form is furnished to all applicants but
need not be submitted for admissions review. It is to
be completed, signed by a physician and returned to
the School by all successful applicants before .
August 1st.
Transfer Students An applicant requesting
advanced standing should, with two exceptions, follow
the procedure as outlined above. In addition to high
school records, a transcript of college grades is
required. In considering a portfolio, the student should
consider work that would substantiate the request to
exempt specific studio courses.
All correspondence and requests for information
should be directed to: David L. Smith, Dean of the
School and Director of Admissions, 19 Hawthorn
Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740; telephone
(617) 999-4436.
12
Each applicant must submit a portfolio of original work
(slides may be accepted if some pieces are
exceptionally large or if the portfolio is sent by mail)
clearly marked with your name, address and the name
of your school. Pieces can be done either
independently, or under guidance, but should be so
designated. Work executed from photographs is not
acceptable. The following items are reguested:
Self portrait in pencil or charcoal to be done from life.
Interior in pencil or charcoal to be done from a room
in your home.
Still-life that includes at least four objects.
Design using geometric shapes in black and white.
A three dimensional object (a piece of sculpture, a
package, a machine, a musical instrument) you have
made.
Three drawings, paintings, sculpture, designs, prints or
photographs of your choice.
You are encouraged to submit examples of work other
than visual art (writing, poetry, music, etc.) which are
important to you.
13
Financial Aid Parents and students should be fully
aware that today, scholarship awards, from nearly
every source, are based almost entirely upon need
rather than academic performance. 'Grants in Aid'
would be a more precise term. Nearly all awards are
made on a four-year term because most agencies do
not wish to leave you 'high and dry' midway through
your 'studies. A final point is that there are many
sources and a considerable amount of money
available in scholarship assistance, enough that no
person genuinely desiring higher education need be
turned away for lack of funds.
Portia C. & Thomas W. Casey Memorial
Scholarship an endowed fund for outright scholarship
grants.
Clement L. Yaeger Scholarship Fund, an endowed
fund for outright scholarship grants.
Swain Funds The School provides funds as matching
portions of federal grants.
Student Loans, Educational Opportunity Grants and
the College Work Study Program. All awards are made
by the School.
Guaranteed Loans Most states provide guaranteed
loans for educational purposes, usually with a
maximum of $1 ,000 per year for five years. These
loans are administered by banks. Interest rates and
repayment periods vary from state to state; for further
information contact your local bank.
State Scholarships Many states make significant
scholarship awards, usually on the basis of need. For
further information contact your guidance counselor,
appropriate state agency, or the Swain School.
Placement The school provides a placement service
which offers assistance in finding interesting
employment for graduating students and alumni. The
service will also be as helpful as possible in
applications for graduate study and special projects
for interested Foundations.
Federal Programs The Swain School administers
three federal student aid programs: National Direct
14
Medical Care The services of a school appointed
physician are available to all students. Charges are
adult & childrens dasses
made directly to you. All students are urged to avail
themselves of low-cost Health and Accident Insurance
policies. Forms for the Blue Cross-Blue Shield student
policies are available through the School.
Housing We have no dormitories. But we do have a
housing service which will provide you with a list of
rooms and apartments available near the School. This
service works best when you give us adequate
warning. You should tell us in the spring the kind of
housing you want for the following fall, whether you
want roommates, a kitchen, how much money you
want to pay.
Adult and Children's Classes In addition to the
degree program the School offers art instruction in its
Saturday School, the Evening School and in the six
week summer program. A separate bulletin is issued
describing these courses and listing fees.
15
Academic requirements
B.F.A. Degree Requirements A total of 122 credits,
86 in studio courses and 36 in liberal arts, and
submission of acceptable work for the Senior Show are
required for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.
Diploma Requirements Recognizing the fact that
some students wish to forego the liberal arts to
concentrate on studio work, Swain offers a four year
studio program. 120 credits, 108 in studio courses and
12 in Art History, are required for the Diploma.
Grades A grade scale of A B C D and F is used to.
designate the students' standing. The letter grades are
considered the equivalent of the following percentage
scale: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69.
The grade I for Incomplete is a substitute grade for
situations in which students could not complete
required assignment due to circumstances beyond
their control. The required work must be completed by
a designated time for a student to be awarded credit.
For the computation of scholastic averages, reported
grades have the numerical vale of A = 4.0, B = 3.0,
C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0 for each credit hour.
Credit Hours Studio credit hours in all courses are
based on a ratio of one credit for every two hours of
scheduled studio time. Credit hours for academic
subjects are based on a ratio of one credit for every
one hour of class attendance.
Probation A first year student earning a semester
average of less than 1.7 and an upper class student
earning less than 2.5 in his major field is placed on
probation. Any student who is on probation for two
consecutive semesters will be reviewed by a special
faculty committee.
Absence Absences are considered permissible only
in case of illness or for other reasons of necessity. It is
your responsibilityto notify the School immediately of
an absence and its cause. Missing work must be made
up whenever you have been absent.
Registration Students already in the School are
required to register and make out tentative schedules
for the following year by June 1. Students enrolling
after School opening date are required to pay a five
dollar late registration fee.
16
Grade Reports Grade reports will be given out at the
end of each semester. All freshmen and other students
whose grade average is D or less will receive a grade
report at midsemester.
Transcripts Graduates and students in good
standing are entitled to one complete statement of their
school record without charge. One dollar will be
charged for each additional copy.
Student Work The School reserves the right to retain
two works of each student for exhibition purposes. All
other property must be removed from School premises
at the end of the academic year. At no time does the
School have responsibility for student property.
Reviews Our policy of formal reviews for second,
third and fourth year students is an important part of
the educational program and a unique expression of a
small professional school at work. Individually you will
have a yearly opportunity to discuss your work, your
ambitions and your problems with all of the faculty.
studio courses are discussed in the form of a general
critique and as an open exchange to help you select
your field of major concentration.
Junior Reviews take place in the middle of the second
semester. You will submit work mainly from your Major
field and the theme of the discussion will be 'work in
progress'. Suggestions are made with regard to
broadening your point of view, emphasizing strengths
and planning the next year's projects which also
include application for graduate study and/or other
career possibilities.
Senior Reviews take place at the end of the first
semester. Directions taken since the previous review
are considered most carefully but attention is given to
firming up plans after graduation.
Sophomore Reviews take place at the end of the year.
Representative examples of work from all of your
17
rogram
The Foundation Program, involving the first and
second year, is directed at six goals considered
necessary in the mastery of the artist's craft.
An ability to translate the volumes and rhythms of the
human figure onto a flat page, and to understand the
structural problems that exist within the random
appearance of a landscape or a group of still-life
objects.
A knowledge and understanding of traditional theories
of color and composition.
An ability to analyze and resolve a variety of problems
in two and three dimensional design.
A view of civilization as an evolving process in which
clear relationships exist between the arts and man's
other accomplishments.
An introduction to reading and writing as a craft of
finding your own convictions, testing them and shaping
them.
20
An exploration of a sufficient range of disciplines to
allow you to choose your particular field of interest.
The emphasis on basic skills and concepts in the first
two years makes it possible to maintain instruction in
the Major Programs on a highly professional level.
Jk
Furthermore, you will have to face many unexpected
and unplanned challenges within the full span of your
career. The Foundation Program assures you of having
a wide frame of reference and skills with which to meet
these problems.
^TcW
91
Thefirffyear
Art History (1 semester) It is very easy to see your
reaction to another person's work, but hard to see the
work itself, hard to see what he has seen. Each visual
work is a map describing a way to see the world, use
the world, live in the world. Each visual style describes
and even shapes a life style. Believing is seeing. But it
is possible to be blinded by the reflex of taste.
This course investigates the connection between style
in art and beliefs about the world. Works are studied
topically rather than chronologically and are arranged
under such headings as: the mask, the effigy, the
mirror, the masquerade, the meeting, the narrative, the
transformation, the sacred grove, the landscape, the
map, the cup. Throughout this sequence we explore
the process of looking at works of art and finding ways
to see them.
3
Design I, Two Dimensional The goal of Design I is
understanding the grammar of design and organizing,
through a keen sensitivity and awareness, one's visual
habits. Problems begin dealing with black and white
spatial organization and progress into a more complex
investigation of color theory.
22
Basic design is approached as a form of enquiry, not
an art form in itself. It is important to learn and
experience the greatest possible variety in solutions by
the exploration and manipulation of line, shape, and
space, in combination with color, value, and texture.
This course suggests directions in which you explore
these interrelationships while simultaneously achieving
limitless variations. It is through these experiences that
you develop, visually and verbally, a sense of
judgement concerning your growth and carry this
attitude on to a more concentrated area of your
particular interest.
2 - 2
Design I, Three Dimensional This course is basically
concerned with the organization of space, and the
expansion of your vocabulary of form through various
methods of exposure. "The whole of Nature is an
endless demonstration of form, and it surprises me
when artists try to escape from this" — Henry Moore.
Emphasis will be placed on developing technical skills
so that you will be capable of translating abstract ideas
into tangible reality with reasonable facility.
Establishing respect and affection for a tool as an
extension of the hand, hence the mind, will be one of
m
y
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ts
the goals. The practice of critical examination of your
own work as well as others will be initiated.
3 - 3
Drawing I This course is planned to contrast with the
more abstract orientation of the accompanying design
courses. It presents some of the basic problems,
techniques and references of the figurative artist.
Emphasis is placed upon the observation and
understanding of natural forms and their translation
through line, form, light and shade. A complete study
of the human skeleton and muscle structure is
included. Media used are pencil, charcoal, crayon,
silver point, and wash.
5 - 5
English I Writing is the craft of finding your
convictions, testing them, shaping them. This course
will explore that craft. There will be reading from recent
fiction, poetry, drama and autobiography.
3 - 3
24
Problems of Western Civilization I The object of this
course is to study the past as a force which shapes
and informs the present. The specifics of the course
vary from year to year and range from a detailed study
of a 19th Century American city to a general survey of
key junctures in the play-scheme of Western thought.
The students will Pe reguired to study their own
communities or others that interest them and prepare
term papers copiously illustrated with photographs and
drawings.
3 - 0
First Year
Foundation Drawing
Design I — 2-D and 3-D
English I
Problems of Western Civilization I
Art History I
Credits
5
5
5
5
3
3
3
0
0
3
6
16
25
Life Drawing is the concentrated study of the model in
different environments and situations of light and
movement. The approach is essentially descriptive, but
with an emphasis on certain formal principles. A
consideration of the classic view of the figure as a
perfectly organized structure is contrasted to more
expressive possibilities.
3 - 0
Figure Modeling The basic purpose of the course is
to begin analysis of the proportions of the human body,
to experience a form in space — a three-dimensional
reality, as opposed to the two-dimensional illusion of
drawing. It will be an experience in seeing, a truly
analytical examination. Drawing will be an integral part
of the course — to establish it as a way of thinking, of
organizing, and as a valuable tool for the mind. Reliefs
will also be dealt with, providing a bridge between
drawing and sculpture.
0- 3
Introductory Painting is based on the drawing,
design, and color experiences gained in the previous
year. Traditional methods of representation and
composition are studied in a series of studio problems
26
M
and seminar type criticisms. You work from nature (still
life, figure, landscape) in order to provide an objective
basis against which you may measure your success in
dealing with concepts of space, light, form and color.
Introductory Painting includes perspective, anatomy,
color theory and basic oil techniques.
2 - 2
Introductory Sculpture This Sophomore course is
aimed toward students' more seriously considering a
major in sculpture. You will further examine basic
materials, try more specialized methods of application
and become more aware of the forms which surround
you in the natural and man-made environment.
Drawing will be used as a vital means of recording and
testing these ideas. Your participation in class critiques
will be encouraged as a means of exchanging
information and developing a better critical judgement.
2 - 2
Introductory Design is a more complex investigation
of visual organization and visual communication. It is a
continuation of the previous course, dealing in both
two and three dimensional problems and the
exploration of color as an aid to the designer. Critiques
27
of classroom projects relate the specific directions of
student work to a variety of design oriented situations.
For example, both two and three dimensional problems
may be discussed in terms of toy design, creative
educational materials, development of interior and
exterior environments, parks, playgrounds, etc., as well
as the concern with the visual impact of the printed
page. This- course attempts to inform you of the
diversity within the design field, and offers you the time
and opportunity for research and experimentation of
problems and materials as a basis for continuation in
the major program.
2 - 2
Introductory Printmaking gives you an opportunity of
experiencing the many techniques of Printmaking.
Through scheduled critiques and discussions,
familiarity with the tradition of Printmaking and working
in the many media, an understanding of its functions
and character is developed.
Required Sophomore Printmaking Media include: relief
printing, photography, drypoint, engraving, etching
aquatint, lithography and silk screen.
2 - 2
28
A note on Photography Photography does not
appear as a separate course in our catalog because it
is as much a prmtmaking medium as lithography or
etching and should be understood as such. You have
noted that photography is required of all second year
students. The highly motivated student who wishes to
concentrate in photography as a printmaking medium
may discuss his wishes with a committee of the faculty.
Note:
Liberal Arts Electives may be chosen from those
described in the Liberal Arts section beginning on
page 40.
Studio Electives: Choose any two of Introductory
Painting, Design or Sculpture.
Second Year
Life Drawing-Figure Modeling
Printmaking
Studio Electives
Studio Electives
Liberal Arts Elective
Credits
3
4
2
2
3
• I
A
2
2
3
I I
29
Major Program
The Major Studio Programs offered are Design,
Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking. The Major
Program, which comprises the last two years at Swain,
is a radical departure from the Foundation Program.
The Program, Puilt around your specific needs, is more
individual in nature since you, instead of taking formal
courses, spend the principal part of your time in your
major workshop. Essentially this program most
resembles the tutorial or honors program in a liberal
arts college. The weight of responsibility for organizing
research materials, equipment and time is gradually
transferred to you. The teacher's role becomes that of
the critic, approximating, as clearly as possible, a
professional situation.
Since the Major Program is essentially individual in
nature, imposing no specific standards or
requirements on you, the problem of guidance, and
evaluation of your achievement becomes particularly
important. During the third year the advisor plans a
program of studies with you. At the beginning of the
fourth year you present to the faculty an outline of your
plans, a first draft of sketches, layouts or models.
Periodically you will meet with the committee to present
work done and discuss revisions and projected plans.
Though no school can program into being an
independent and responsible individual, such a
curriculum does set up a situation in which the student
can achieve genuine maturity as an artist and as a
person.
30
^ r
Painting workshop 1/2
Painting Workshop develops from materials tirst
presented in the introductory drawing and painting
studios. In conjunction with the Workshop, a study ot
traditional and contemporary art theory is made in
group and individual criticism.
You are introduced to painting technigues in which the
history and practice ot a variety of Pasic painting media
is studied. Along with a thorough familiarity with the tools
and crafts of painting, emphasis is placed on the
development of an attitude and a commitment that is at
least as important as a knowledge of technigue.
Through assigned and student initiated problems, a
number of possibilities are made accessible and you are
enabled to develop as a serious painter.
Third Year
Painting Workshop I
Life Drawing-Figure Modeling
Studio Elective
Liberal Arts Electives
Fourth Year
Painting Workshop II
Liberal Arts Elective
Credits
Credits
6
6
2
2
2
2
6
6
16
16
12
12
3
3
15
15
32
Design workshop 1/2
The design workshop is a concentration of specific
projects with emphasis on your ability to creatively
solve a variety of problems, originating the concepts
and developing them to completion. Photography is
incorporated within the program as an extension of the
design potential. It is explored as one method in which
the student might solve a given problem, and is used
in conjunction with both two and three dimensional
assignments. Photography, color, and illustration are
further explored through photo silkscreen.
As a part of our program, we try to focus attention on
our community. Projects direct creative talents toward
making that environment more pleasant and functional,
and communicating information in a more coherent
manner. These projects not only bring the school into
closer harmony with the community, of which it is a
part, but envolve the more advanced students in
situations dealing with real limitations, real information
needs, and real budgets.
Third Year
Design Workshop I
Life Drawing-Figure Modeling
Studio Elective
Liberal Arts Electives
/
Fourth Year
Design Workshop II
Liberal Arts Elective
Credits
Credits
6
c
2
2
2
2
6
6
16
16
12
12
3
3
15
15
34
Sculpture workshop 1/2
The Sculpture Workshop requires the basic
information in problem solving and use of materials
gained during the two previous years. The firm
course structure of the foundation period will give
way as the urgency of your own need for personal
statement becomes more intense. At this point in your
career you should be forming a commitment and a
sense of discipline as you concentrate more deeply
and'narrowly upon those sculptural problems and
materials which you find most compelling. Frequent
discussions with instructors and regular group
criticisms with students will help you keep an open
mind and think out your direction more carefully.
Third Year
Sculpture Workshop I
Life Drawing — Figure Modeling
Studio Elective
Liberal Arts Electives
Fourth Year
Sculpture Workshop II
Liberal Arts Electives
Credits
Credits
6
6
2
2
2
2
6
6
16
16
12
12
3
3
15
15
36
Printm
Printmaking centers around the Print Room and Dark
Room which functions as a laboratory and machine
shop containing the equipment that is essential for
the training in the many diverse techniques of making
prints. The Print Room, through its very nature, is
capable of fulfilling the philosophical and social need
of the artist to 'get his work out', which is the core of
this medium of the multi-original. It is apparent that
mOst artists, whatever their major field, are going to
use Printmaking as part of their artistic expression,
finding in it a source for realizing the need for
distribution of their work.
Third Year
Printmaking Workshop I
Life Drawing-Figure Modeling
Studio Elective
Liberal Arts Electives
Fourth Year
Printmaking Workshop II
Liberal Arts Electives
Credits
6
6
2
2
2
2
6
6
16
16
Credits
12
12
3
3
15
15
The major student is expected to work with problems
in all areas of Printmaking with a view to
understanding their relevance as ways of realizing his
creative ideas. Only the motivated student, dedicated
to developing an aesthetic in keeping with such a
field, is encouraged to major in Printmaking,
38
arts courses
Besides the crafts of the hand and the eye there are
crafts of the imagination. Good visual work does what
good writing does, it makes experience more vivid. A
place is ignored, invisible, until it has been painted, or
used in a story, or mapped, or gardened, or in some
other way imagined. There is the danger of time
sliding, of events seeming as if they had never
happened, of people dying as if they had never been.
The deepest craft of any artist is that of falling in love
with the world, of knowing that what he has seen is
worth seeing. It is a craft shared by architects,
anthropologists, novelists, psychologists, poets,
designers, illustrators, mapmakers, painters,
gardeners, sociologists, sculptors, and photographers.
been this way, its drift; recognizing others as
themselves and not simple variations of you; finding
what contradicts your uniqueness, what all persons, all
societies, all times, have in common; learning to find
sustenance in the marrow of events whose bones
seem complicated"; learning how to ask questions
which are worth answering, and how to answer them. It
is the craft of learning to live well.
The liberal arts courses take the work of art historians,
poets, travelers, novelists, historians, sociologists,
anthropologists, biologists, psychologists,
philosophers and put them in a form designers,
painters, photographers and sculptors can use.
The liberal arts courses describe that craft, presenting
it in some of its many disguises, that you might
re-invent it for yourself and bring it to your own visual
work. It is a craft to be seen in many separate acts:
finding what you actually feel within that inward noise;
telling the difference between those things you are
sure of and those other things you are just in the habit
of saying; discovering what your experience can be
compared to, measured against; locating the present,
realizing how wide it is, how deep it is, how long it has
40
In the freshman year there are four required liberal arts
courses, two a semester; in the remaining three years
you choose eight courses from a list of sixteen
electives. But you must choose carefully. Of those
eight courses, three must be courses in Visual
Studies, two must be courses in Social Studies, three
must be courses in Humanities.
Because the department is small it is impossible for us
to provide the diversity of courses available in a
Eli.Ak.jk^^M .-V/<mt m iimm-
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larger liberal arts college — We offer no course in
"Shakespeare" or "The Biology of Fishes". However,
the faculty is able to encourage individual students to
pursue their particular interests at S.M.U. for credit.
Note Freshman Year: (all four courses are required).
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors: these eight
electives should include:
Three electives in Visual Studies
Two electives in Social Studies
Three electives in Humanities
First Year
Credits
Two Semesters English
6
One semester Art History
3
One Semester Problems of Western Civilization
3
Second Year
Credits
Two Electives
6
Third Year
Credits
Four Electives
12
Fourth Year
Credits
Two Electives
6
41
Humanities 1: Poetry Workshop Here you will write
poems, re-wrlte them, tame them, perform them, look
at the things poetry can do, learn to see poetry as an
act rather than a product. You will do what people
writing poetry always do: explore the ways in which
you can be moved, look for ways to make experience
matter, invent some way to tell your good poems from
your bad poems.
Much of what is read in the course will be written there;
there will also be some reading from published poets.
The point will be to give you poetry as a lens to focus
experience and as a tool to change it.
3
Humanities 2: Creative Writing The purpose of this
course is to investigate, by practice, examination and
discussion, writing as a fine art. Students will read and
criticize each other's work, as well as the work of
commercial outsiders.
3
Humanities 3: Children's Books The course is
designed to provide a background in children's
classics, as well as to consider the nature of children
as an audience. The use of books in the education of
42
children will be considered. Students enrolled in the
course will write one long work for children.
3
Humanities 4: The Structure of Theatrical
Composition An inquiry into the nature of the theater,
of acting, of presenting a story publicly by action.
Students will write, act and direct enough to have
some first hand knowledge of these occupations;
however a primary aim of the course is to provide a
thorough familiarity, by reading, with important works
that have been made for the theater.
3
Humanities 5: History Workshop History is a human
act, a way of reflecting on those things which have
been lost from human experience, a way of exploring
themes or shapes which keep recurring, a way of
thinking about the present as a moment which began
ten or ten thousand years ago. This course will be an
opportunity to write history, reconstruct a story, the way
people build mosaics from broken chips.
Participants in the course will work from the fragments
and traces that have been preserved, from paintings,
photographs, maps, novels, poems, letters, diaries,
i
biographies, statistics, fossils. We will make something
of the difference between these guestions: What did
they think was happening? What do we think was
happening?
3
Humanities 6: Philosophy As Means (offered on
reguest, limited to four students) A philosophy is not a
collection of beliefs, it is a method, an approach to
experience. Reading philosophy is a way of seeing the
different styles available for facing some important
guestions. There are many such guestions; we will work
with these:
What can I be sure about? (Are there different ways of
being sure?)
What limits me? (What is fate like? What is freedom like?)
How shall I amplify my awe7
We will work with these philosophers: Pascal,
Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein.
The purpose of the course is to illuminate the actual
kinship between style in philosophy and style in the
visual arts.
3
43
Visual studies
Visual Studies 1: Twentieth Century Art Twentieth
century visual art has not one style, but many. This
suggests fundamental changes in the relationship of
an artist to his work and to his audience. The artist is
forced to these questions: How shall I choose a style
when there are so many? How shall I find a style
whose emotional significance is not obscured?
To clarify these questions we will examine the work of
twentieth century artists from four perspectives:
original work, slides, the writing or remarks of the artist,
the critics' attempt to offer other explanations.
3
Visual Studies 2: About Time and Movies This will
be a reflection on some of the things movies do or can
do, considering also some of the ways they shed light
on the art of making still pictures or the art of
storytelling. Because movies mimic the flow of
experience they permit us to reconsider the acts' of
wrenching a motionless image from that flow, and of
imitating that flow by using words which evoke it. We
will explore ways of experiencing time, ways of giving
psychological weight to time, ways of giving time
coherence. Some of the evidence will be drawn from
movies, some from painting, novels, photographs.
3
44
Visual Studies 3: Aesthetics and
Anaesthetics This will be a discussion of meaning in
art. Among the questions to be considered are these:
How does a work of art mean something? How is it
able to open us to,experience?
When is art superficial, when is it empty, when does it
disclose depth?
What is the value of tempering personal taste? What
kinds of criticism are valid? What kinds arbitrary?
To investigate the position of the arts in a mass culture.
Although the questions are drawn from the philosophy
of art, discussion will center on real visual objects:
paintings, shoes, boxes, photographs.
3
Visual Studies 4: On Vision The world of science
and the world of ecstacy come together in the eye.
Vision is our closest contact with actuality, closer than
touch or hearing. Visions are those odd moments in the
life of seers.
In this course we will talk about the relationships
between seeing and envisioning, between the familiar
world of ordinary sight and the strange one of
scientists or mystics. In general we will examine some
of the implications of having eyes, and some of the
options the eye offers.
3
Visual Studies 5: Landscapes is an exploration of
different ways in which men and the land co-exist. The
goal of the course is the invention of a new way to
consider the painting of landscape. Topics to be
studied include: Gardens, Tactics, Cartography,
City-building, Roads, Creation Myths. Students will be
expected to execute one significant piece of research,
and to maintain a careful written journal.
3
Visual Studies 6: Symbols of Transformation A
study of the visual symbolic content of psychological
change as recorder in art and literature. The processes
involved in the creation of fantasy are examined
through the mediums of fiction and the visual arts.
3
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*
s
Social studies
Social Studies 1: Technological Society The
industrial city, the assembly line, efficiency,
standardization, the expert: such things dominate our
ability to imagine society or imagine alternatives. There
is the danger of technological society becoming a
given, a fate, a background: a danger of imagining the
only options to be acquiescence or flight to the
country. It is difficult to imagine, deal with, make peace
with technological society. This course is an attempt to
develop a student's sociological imagination. Much of
the course examines the consequences of excessive
social planning and excessive social control. The rest
is a search for alternatives.
3
Social Studies 2: The History of the Future Here
we will look at the variety of ways of imagining a future,
of imagining what is possible, of imagining what will
happen, of imagining what could happen. The course
will be an examination of the value and perils of the
Utopian imagination.
It will be arranged as a series of case studies:
Medieval expectations of the end of time.
Renaissance versions of the perfect society.
Nineteenth century Utopian thought.
The personal future of nineteenth century Americans.
Twentieth century revolutionaries.
The future of the future.
3
46
Social Studies 3: Worlds and Cosmologies The
course will follow a sequence of written attempts at
discovering, arranging, defining, or controlling the
nature of the universe. Our interest is not only in the act
of the individual, the philosophical act of definition -
but also in the social implications of these acts, and
their origins in historical phenomena. Required texts
will include the following: The Crock of Gold, The Rule
of St. Benedict, Sun Chief, Beowulf, One Hundred
Years of Solitude, Yanoama, Women and Their Bodies,
Heraclitus.
3
Social Studies 4: Travelers Our interest is principally
in first hand narrative accounts by witnesses or
participants in campaigns or discoveries of historical
or scientific importance. We will study the influence of
the event on the witness. Possible readings: Travels of
Marco Polo: Travels of William Bartram; History of
Herodotus, Caesar, or Tacitus: Mailer's Armies of the
Night.
3
47
Faculty
David Loeffler Smith, Dean of School and Instructor of
Painting and Drawing; B.A., Bard College; M.F.A.
Cranbrook Academy of Art, Hans Hofmann
Leo Kelley, Instructor of Liberal Arts; B.S.;
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
:S.,
Nicholas J. Kilmer, Instructor of Liberal Arts; B.A.
Georgetown University; M.A, Harvard University
Arthur J. Spring, Jr., Instructor of Liberal Arts: B.A.
Columbia College: M.A. Columbia University
Russell Mroczek, Instructor of Design and Photography;
B.F.A. Massachusetts College of Art
Bruce W. Naftel, Instructor of Design; B.S. in Art and
M.A. in Graphic Design, Western Michigan University
L. John Osborne, Instructor of Prmtmaking; M.F.A.
California College of Arts and Crafts; Undergraduate;
Medway College of Art and Kent College (England)
Steven L. Plumhoff, Instructor of Sculpture; B.F.A.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design; M.F.A. Rhode
Island School of Design
Barry Michael Rosenthal, Instructor of Painting and
Drawing; B.A. University of Pennsylvania, Columbia
University, Lennart Anderson, James Weeks, Gabriel
Laderman
48
Administration
William J. Finn, Director and Instructor of Sculpture,
University of Toronto; B.F.A., Rhode Island School of
Design
Eleanor R. Peckham, Office Manager
Betty Bryant, Bookkeeper
Merle Sanderson, Special Services Director
Diane B. CamPra, Administrative Assistant
Gerald S. Coutinho, Financial Aid Consultant, B.S.
Southeastern Massachusetts University; Director of
Financial Aid, Southeastern Massachusetts University
Fred Gomes, Buildings & Grounds Superintendent
Vivian C. Perry, Head Librarian, Bridgewater State
College, Southeastern Massachusetts University,
Bristol Community College
49
David B. Titus, President
William H. Potter, Vice President and Treasurer
Richard A. Pline, Secretary
Mrs. John M. Bullard
George L. Considine
Mrs. William E. Coykendall, Jr.
Mrs. Daniel E. Finger
Jack P. Hudnall
Mrs. A. Lloyd Russell
Mrs. Paul A. Schmid
Cecil C. I. Wylde
W. Myron Owen
Mrs. W. Julian Underwood
S. Whitney Dickey
50
rs
Robert L. Bertolli, Professor of Art — Boston State
College
Gilbert Franklin, Chairman, Fine Arts
Division — Rhode Island School of Design
Bartlett H. Hayes, Jr., Curator of the American
Academy, Rome
Philip Hofer, Curator-Emeritus of Printing and
Graphic Arts, Houghton Library, Harvard
University
Boris Mirski, Director, Boris Mirski Gallery
George C. Perkins, Attorney
Oliver Prescott, Jr., Attorney
Perry T. Rathbone, Director-Emeritus, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts
W. Knight Sturges, Architect
S. Morton Vose, Director, Vose Galleries of
Boston
51
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